Today we will introduce various meanings and usages of the transitive verb 出（だ）す (to take something out). The basic meaning of Xを出す is to move X (a thing) from Y (a container) or move X to another place, as in: ケーキを箱（はこ）から出す (to take a cake out of a box). X can be something that stays in the person’s body (Y), such as 声 （こえ, voice）, なみだ (tears), あせ(sweat), 力 （ちから, power）, 勇気 （ゆうき, bravery） or 元気 （げんき, energy/vigor） as in Ms. Gray’s sentence in Situation 1.

Situation 2: Takako is leaving home in the morning and her mother calls out to her.

たか子： いってきまーす！

母： あ、たか子、ついでにこのハガキ、出していって。

Takako: Itte-kimāsu!

Haha: A, Takako, tsuide-ni kono hagaki, dashite-itte.

Takako: I’m leaving (for school).

Mother: Wait, Takako, please send this postcard on the way.

出す is also used when we want to say that X is taken to a certain place. For instance, 結婚（けっこん）とどけを出す(literally: to take the legal document of a marriage [to the ward office]) means to register a marriage. 願書（がんしょ）を出す means to submit an application (to a university), and the mother’s ハガキを出す in Situation 2 means to post a postcard (using the postal service). Another exampled: 料理 （りょうり, dishes） を出す (to serve dishes [to a person]).

Other usages include phrases such as 本（ほん, book） を出す(to publish a book), スピードを出す (to speed up), 火事（ かじ, fire）を出す( to cause a fire), 結論（けつろん, conclusion） を出す (to conclude), etc. ぼろ (literally: rug)を出す is an idiom that is used when a person’s hidden fault is exposed.

Bonus dialogue: Four young colleagues are chatting about yesterday’s TV program.